Raphael Cohen

Rabbi Raphael Susskind Cohen, in German Rafael ben Jekutiel Süsskind Kohen (Lithuania, 4 November 1722 – 11 November 1803), a kohen, was Chief Rabbi of Altona-Hamburg-Wandsbek from 1775.[1][2]

Raphael Cohen attempted to ban Jewish readers from reading Moses Mendelssohn's Biur, but ultimately was unable to oppose translation of the Pentateuch when Mendelssohn arranged for the ruler of Altona, Christian VII of Denmark, to subscribe to a copy.[3][4][5]

Rabbi Rifael is said to have refused to participate in the excommunication initiated against the Shneur Zalman of Liadi based on his claim that greater challenges face one wishing to initiate punishment than one wishing to initiate blessing.

The Hebrewbooks.org website, by appending the abbreviation כ"ץ to his name, claims that he was descended from Zadok the priest.

References

  1. ^ Encyclopaedia Judaica: Bd. Kimchit-Lyra Jakob Klatzkin, Ismar Elbogen KBS KOHEN, RAFAEL BEN JEKUTIEL SÜSSKIND (1722-1803), Rabbiner und Autor, geb. 4. Nov. 1722, Nachkomme des R. Mordechai Jaffe, studierte seit seinem 12. Lebensjahr in der Jeschiba seines Verwandten R. Arje Löb b. Ascher (sd) in Minsk, ...
  2. ^ Aschkenas: Volume 4, Issue 1 1994 "Mit dieser Selbstdarstellung beginnt der aus Litauen stammende Raphael ben Jekutiel Süskind haKohen, Oberrabbiner der Dreigemeinde Altona-Hamburg-Wandsbek, sein Schreiben vom April 1782 an den dänischen Oberpräsidenten"
  3. ^ Shmuel Feiner The Jewish enlightenment 2002 Page 127 "From his own personal experience, he was able to point to at least one clear address — the Lithuanian rabbi Raphael Suesskind Kohen (1722-1803), who from 1775 was the rabbi of the Altona-Hamburg community."
  4. ^ Alexander Altmann Moses Mendelssohn: a biographical study 1973 "Mendelssohn was able to silence most of the opposition, especially that of its leader, Rabbi Rafael Kohn of Altona, by obtaining subscriptions for his translation from the royal house of Copenhagen, through the intervention of a friend, ..Mendelssohn's reply to Hennings' two letters and the ministerial note attached to the first was written on 29 July:20 I ... and which prevented the chief rabbi of Altona from taking any overt action against the Pentateuch translation.
  5. ^ David Jan Sorkin The Berlin Haskalah and German religious thought: orphans of knowledge 2000 "A rumor that the Chief Rabbi, Raphael Cohen (1722-1803), who was notoriously quick to issue bans, intended to pronounce one, had the salutary result that Mendelssohn, with the aid of a good friend (Hennings), enlisted the King of Denmark and the Royal Library as subscribers (Altona had been under Danish rule since 1640)

Rabbinic literary works